A Mother's Determination
by J Garibay
Summary: An unforeseen tragedy causes Yuzu to come out of retirement, And Mei begins to take on more responsibilities on the home front. (Set one Year after A Mother's Secret)
1. Chapter 1: A Happy Visit

Neoko walks down the usually crowded hall in a hurried state. Her status as the Ahiara Academy's chairman is shown by the striped business suit she wears. Students who normally crowd the halls give way as Neoko approaches, bowing as they do. She gives a gentle nod to some students as she enters her office.

As she approaches her office door her secretary rises to her feet and bows.

"Your guest is inside with your daughters, Ma'am," she reports.

Neoko pauses, "My daughters are in there as well?"

The secretary nods.

Neoko silently turns the knob of her door and quietly enters the office.

Neoko is presented with the sight that brightens her day. Yuzu is leaning against the desk, wearing her normally fashionable attire, holding an old picture, showing it to Neoko's twin daughters, who were sitting on the two chairs in front of the desk. The twins, Yuzi and MeiMei, whom it is said to have the appearance of their grandmothers, each looking like their respective namesake, giggle a little as Yuzu tells the tale related to the picture.

"Here is the one with me and Mei in on our first wedding day, You know, I never found out where they found that huge spoon," Yuzu explains, causing another round of laughter from the twins.

Neoko moves further inside of her office, "Isn't it time for you to go to class?"

The twins jump by surprise by being caught by their mother. They hurriedly bow to Yuzu, who smiles gently as they hurriedly leave while waving goodbye. Neoko watches them leave as a smile appears on her face.

"I swear that Yuzi looks more and more like you each day," remarks Neoko.

Yuzu shakes her head, "You mean more like Ian, Those are his genes, I only wish I had a hand in that, But MeiMei, she is the spitting image of Mei, your mother, when she was that age."

Neoko couldn't help but agree. She sighs and shrugs her shoulders and turns her attention to Yuzu.

"So what brings you here Mother Yuzu?" she inquires.

Yuzu turns and produces a small gift box. "From your mother and I, for your one year anniversary as Chairman of the Academy."

"Oh, you shouldn't have," Neoko says as she takes the small gift, and opening it to reveal a bracelet. "It's beautiful."

"Well, that is all I wanted to do so I will leave you to your busy job," Yuzu says as she rises off the desk.

"Wait, I'll walk you to your car," Neoko says as she retrieves the wedding photo from her desk.

"You two looked so beautiful together," Neoko says as she looks at the photo before handing it to Yuzu, "Its a shame it didn't work out the first time."

Yuzu takes the photo with a smile, "Well if it had, you, Ian, and the Twins would not be in our lives, And so I don't dwell on it much."

The pair leave the office and head down the hallway and entered the elevator to the ground floor. Yuzu looking as if some nostalgic memory is entering her mind. She pauses some to look at the metal detectors at the door.

"Do you need these things now?" asks Yuzu referring to the machines.

"It's a scary world out there, Got to make sure our kids stay safe," answers Neoko.

The pair make it outside of the front of the school. Yuzu takes in the environment as she and Neoko walk down the wide sidewalk. Suddenly, Yuzu stops with a smile. Puzzled, Neoko stares at Yuzu waiting for an answer to an unspoken question.

"It was here at this very spot!" exclaims Yuzu.

"What?" asks Neoko.

"Where I first saw your mother, Mei, right there!" says Yuzu, while pointing toward the academy.

"Was it love at first sight?"

"Nope," Yuzu says, shaking her head, "She took my cellphone,"

"Yeah, I heard she frisked you," Neoko recalls.

"Frisk?! More like groped me!" answers Yuzu.

Both women laugh in spite of themselves.

"Are the Twins still coming over tonight?" asks Yuzu.

"Yes, Ian and I are going out tonight, and we will be back before it gets too late," answeres Neoko.

"There is no need to rush back we enjoy their company, So have a good time ok?" reassures Yuzu.

Neoko opens the car door for Yuzu, "We will now be careful going home." answers Neoko.

Yuzu smiles, waves at Neoko, and drives away.


	2. Chapter 2: The Twins Visit

Mei stretches under the blanket. She was sleeping in, at least sleeping in for her. She hears the bedroom door open with a slight whine. She feels a shift in the weight of the bed as she slightly smiles. A hand slowly works its way around her waist and stops to rest on her stomach.

"Did Neoko like the bracelet?" Mei inquires.

"She did," purred Yuzu.

Mei rolled herself on her back, looking at Yuzu's smiling face. She ran her hands through the chestnut-colored hair. She observes the hair as it falls from her fingertips. She moves her hand behind Yuzu's neck and gently pulls her close and kisses her gently.

"Are the twins still coming?" Mei asked.

"Yes, they are," came a muffled reply as Yuzu buries her face into Mei's neck.

Mei moans softly as she wraps her arms around Yuzu.

"How much time do we have before they arrive?" Mei inquires.

Yuzu looks at a nearby clock, squints to try to focus her eyes, "Maybe a few hours."

Mei smiles, "Good, Thirty minutes for this, and two hours to recover."

Yuzu had a look of confusion, "Recover from what?"

Mei smiles as she pulls the blanket over their heads.

"Oh, that!" giggles Yuzu.

Sometime later, Mei slowly makes her way off the bed, careful not to disturb the still sleeping Yuzu. Mei feels the stiff joints as she straightens up, causing her to wince a little. She makes her way to the bathroom and turns on the light over the mirror.

Mei's eyes still hide behind the glasses she wears. Her hair, while still having its shiny black hair, starts to show small bits of grey. Mei feels her face with her hands, still smooth thanks to constant care.

Yuzu enters the bathroom as Mei examines herself in the mirror. She smiles as she gently embraces Mei from behind.

"You look beautiful Mei, you always look beautiful to me," reassures Yuzu.

"Do I really?" asks Mei.

"Always," answers Yuzu.

Mei closes her eyes as Yuzu starts her kissing assault.

*Ding Dong*

Yuzu sighs, "Doorbell."

Mei hurriedly dresses as she leaves, "I'll get it."

Mei opens the front door and is greeted with the sight of A smiling Yuzi and a somewhat disgruntled MeiMei with a tall, light brown haired man behind them, their father, Ian. The twins, still wearing the school uniform of the Aihara Academy enter followed by Ian. Mei looks at the black-haired MeiMei and gives a questionable-look.

"MeiMei is mad at me I'm afraid, Mother Mei, I made her change clothes to fit the school code, Now she says she hates me," smiles Ian.

"Well, maybe a night with her grandmothers may put her in a better mood," remarks Mei.

"Well, you know the saying, You are not doing a good job unless your kids say they hate you at least three times a week," jokes Ian.

"I'm sure she doesn't hate you, Ian, you're a good father," Mei reassures.

Ian puts his hands in his pants pockets, "Oh I know that."

Mei looks out the front door, "Um where is Neoko?"

Ian looks at Mei with a confused expression, then smiles, "Oh! She wasn't ready to go out yet so she sent me to deliver these two heathens here."

Yuzi shoots her father an amused look as she gets up and goes to the kitchen. MeiMei refused to acknowledge her father's existence by keeping her eyes squarely on the television, flipping channels.

Ian sighs as he turns toward the door. Mei pats his back as he leaves.

"It will be ok," Mei whispers.

Ian nods with a small smile, "We will be back tonight afterward."

"No hurry, and be safe!" Mei commands as Ian waves and leaves in his car.

That evening, the twins were seeming to have a nice time with their grandmothers. Yuzi was experimenting with Yuzu's hair with Yuzu holding a mirror. Mei tries to teach the importance of rules to MeiMei who tries her best not to roll her eyes. Eventually, it was Yuzu's talent with baking that brought MeiMei out of her dreary mood.

The phone rings causing Yuzu to pick it up.

"Hello? Yes, this is the Aihara residence Yuzu speaking, ...are you sure you got the right number?... oh my..."

Yuzu drops the floor and rushes out of the room. Mei picks up the phone and continues the conversation, then hangs up the phone.

"Girls, get in the car right now we got to leave this instant!" commands Mei in an urgent tone.

Yuzu reenters the room with jackets for her and Mei, wiping away tears as she does.

"What happened, grandmother?" Yuzi asks Mei.

Mei opens the front door, directing them outside, with her own eyes beginning to tear up.

"There has been an accident, your parents are at the hospital as we speak, now let's go!"


	3. Chapter 3: A Tragic Awakening

Neoko opens her eyes to a brightly lit hospitable room. She blinks to adjust to the glare and spots monitors with their beeping noise on her left. She then looks to her right seeing Mei sitting next to her, with eyes closed, in front of a curtain.

"Mother?" Neoko faintly said.

Mei jumps a little and looks at Neoko with wide eyes. She then grabs and shakes the curtain excitedly.

"Yuzu! She's awake! Come quick!" Mei excitedly calls.

Two blonde heads pop out from behind the curtain. Yuzu hurries out followed by Yuzi, who stops at the foot of the bed. Yuzu tearfully smiles as she gently strokes Neoko on the side of her head.

"Yuzi, go to the nurse's station and get the doctor, He wanted to be here if Neoko woke up, hurry along now". commanded Mei.

Neoko watches as Yuzi hurries out the door and turns to her attention to Yuzu. Neoko could tell that Yuzu had been crying with the stressed look and her red eyes.

"How are feeling dear?" askes Yuzu.

I'm hurting pretty good, where is Ian?" Neoko inquires.

The doctor knocks on the open door and enters before they could answer Neoko. He was in scrubs with a white cloth mask hanging from around his neck.

"Well now, how are we doing?" he asks.

"Pain in my back, other than that I'm ok," answers Neoko.

"Well, that is why I'm here, to talk about your back," he says as he puts down his chart, "Did you notice any numbness or your feet being unresponsive?"

"Yeah," Neoko answers, not liking where his questions were leading up to.

He nods, "Ok that is because of the trauma your back received from the car accident. Right now at this moment, you are effectively paralyzed from the waist down."

Mei looks up at the doctor with a worried look, "Does that mean that she will never walk again?"

The doctor leans back against a counter and crosses his arms, "Well that depends on an important factor."

"Which is?" asks Neoko.

"You," answers the doctor.

Neoko and Mei exchanged confused looks.

"You see I put your chances to walk again at fifty percent, That is with physical therapy. But I believe that if you put your will behind it, you will walk again. I have seen it before and with injuries far worse," explains the doctor.

Neoko nods slowly as if she understood what the doctor was getting at, "So how about surgery?"

The doctor made a disapproving face, "I want to try to avoid that if possible, I only want to try that as a last resort, I want to see if your back heals with therapy first."

Neoko nods again as if lost in thought, then her question came again.

"Where is my husband, Ian?" Neoko asks again.

Mei looks up at the doctor with a worried look.

"Mrs. McGregor, I need you to-"

"Stop with the bullshit and tell me about my husband! WHERE IS HE!?!?" insists Neoko.

The doctor sighs, "He is here in this room, on the other side of the curtain, The trauma he suffered has left him in a comatose state, In short, Mrs. McGregor, he is in a coma."

Neoko sits silently for a moment. "Move the curtain, " she quietly commands.

"Neoko I don't think that is a good idea," Mei consuls.

"Move the damn curtain," Neoko sneers.

The doctor moves the curtain revealing Ian lying on his back attached to monitors and tubes. Neoko closes her eyes at the sight of Ian as Mei rushes to close the curtain.

"Is he-" Neoko starts to ask.

"He is alive, breathing on his own, with brain functions, just hasn't regained consciousness yet." reassures the doctor. "I don't know when or if he will at this point."

Neoko closes her eyes and starts to cry. Mei grabs ahold of her hand and squeezes tightly, "He is alive Neoko, be thankful for that."

The doctor checks his watch, "I'm afraid visiting hours are done, but please come back tomorrow."

The family files out reluctantly, sad but thankful that the couple is still breathing. Neoko catches the doctor for one last question.

"Doctor about this," she places her hand on her stomach, "did I?.."

The doctor sits on the side of the bed. "You body suffered a tremendous blow Neoko. I'm afraid it was too much, so yes, you did have a miscarriage, I sorry, that was beyond any help we could provide."

The doctor looks to the door, "I take it that they didn't know."

A tearful Neoko quietly nods. "Only my husband and I knew so please keep it that way."

The doctor rises to leave, "Of course, Call the nurses if you need anything else."

After the door closes Neoko sits in silence, looks over to the curtain, begins to silently weep, "I'm sorry Ian."

"I'm so very sorry."


	4. Chapter 4: The Call of Duty

It has been some time since the accident. Neoko was discharged from the hospital but still is wheelchair bound and has to be by Ian's bedside at every opportunity. Some feeling has returned to her legs but she still lacks the strength and unfortunately, the will to walk.

A knock is heard on the door to Ian's hospital room.

Neoko wheels her wheelchair around, "Come in."

A man wearing a business suit enters with a gentle smile, "Hello Neoko, they said you might be here."

"Mr. Oda!" exclaims Neoko as she rolls the wheelchair toward him.

"Came as soon as I arrived back inside the country, sorry for what happened," he explains.

"Did you get my proposal I sent you?" Neoko inquired.

"I did, are you sure this is will work?" he asks.

"It has to, it's the only way to ensure the survival of the academy while I'm away" explains Neoko.

"Ok, I'll ask," Oda responds.

A knock comes from the door again. Yuzu and Mei smile as they enter. Yuzu eyes brighten as she recognizes Mr. Oda. The pair share a warm handshake. Mei and Yuzu take a seat against the wall.

"So what brings the great Mr. Oda out to see us?" asks Yuzu.

Oda scratches the back of his head, "Yuzu, how is retirement treating you?"

"Pretty good I guess," answers Yuzu, "Why?"

"How do you feel about working again?" Oda inquires.

"Doing what?"

"Neoko's job, until she comes back." Oda answers.

Mei's eyes look hard at Oda. "Why?"

"The Aihara Project, as we call it, is in the middle of a crisis. The academy had a run of bad test scores, causing the directors to question the wisdom of taking over operations. Neoko came up with a series of plans that seem to work on turning it around. I need someone who is familiar with the school and its inner workings and to keep Neoko's programs working."

Mei looks quickly at Yuzu then back to Oda, "Surely you can't be serious. I mean you can't expect Yuzu to come out of retirement just because you say so."

"I know it's asking a lot Mei, but we think its the best option." Oda begins.

"We? Who else was involved with this process?" demands Mei.

"That would be me, mother," Neoko answers.

"You?" Mei scowls, "You would put your mother through all the stress again? Are you insane?!"

"Mother, please listen to me, it is the only way for the school to survive." Neoko tries to explain.

"The school can rot! It almost killed your great-grandfather where I had to take over when he couldn't-"

"And who ran it when you couldn't because of a car wreck? Who did you want to run it when you couldn't because of health problems? Me that's who!" Neoko retorts.

Mei looks wide-eyed at Neoko, stunned in silence. Yuzu looks down to the floor in silence.

"I have been busting my ass trying to live up to the Aihara name! Trying to make you proud of me! Keeping the legacy alive! Now you tell me to let it rot?" Neoko fumes.

"Neoko," Mei quietly says, "I have always been proud of you. You have done more than any that have come before you. But this is... is..."

"Ok, I'll do it."

Mei turns suddenly toward Yuzu, "What?!"

"They are right Mei, I'm the best option," reasons Yuzu.

"You don't mean that do you Yuzu?" Mei asks.

"Yes, I created this project, and in a way, it's my fault, I was the one before Neoko," Yuzu reasons.

Mei shakes her head as she gets up suddenly and heads toward the door, "You're a fool Yuzu, and so am I."

The door slams behind Mei as she leaves the room. Yuzu gets up and leaves to go after her.

Mr. Oda looks at Neoko, "Should I go after them?"

"Not if you value your life," warns Neoko.

"Mei!" Yuzu calls as she moves quickly down the hall. She looks from side to side, down hallways, and through windows.

Yuzu goes around a corner and she finds Mei in a large waiting room that was lit by the waning sun. She roughly pushes the door open and stands facing Mei. Mei turns slowly toward Yuzu. looking at her with her smoldering, lavender eyes.

"What do you want Yuzu?" scowled Mei.

"We need to talk Mei, we need to talk now."


	5. Chapter 5: Lioness vs Tigress

"Why Yuzu? Why does it have to be you? Why must you leave me alone so I have to help this family alone?" Mei asks.

Yuzo looks at Mei with a confused look, "They are not children Mei, They can fend for themselves."

Mei squares up at Yuzu, "But don't you see? That position is tough enough for younger people, like Neoko, but it almost killed older people, like my grandfather."

"I can handle it, Mei, you have to trust me on this." Yuzu counters.

"I do trust you, But at the same time I know this could end you, and that worries me," Mei argues.

"Mei relax, It's just a for a few days until Neoko can take over again," Yuzu reasons.

Mei scoffs at the suggestion, "Neoko hasn't made any sort of reasonable effort to walk, it's as if she has given up."

"Then we will have to motivate her somehow," says Yuzu.

"Oh really? Like I haven't thought of that." counters Mei.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" asks Yuzu.

"Tell them no, that you can't do it, tell them anything, just don't go back!" Mei answers.

"I can't do that, I can't let them recover only to have nothing when they do?" snaps Yuzu.

Mei tilts her head with a confused look, "What do you mean by that?"

Yuzu crosses her arms and walks to a nearby window, looking out to the parking lot below, "I may not know much about educating children, Mei so when I need advice I will come to you."

Yuzu steps away from the window and looks directly at Mei "But the one thing I do know is that every company that has a board of directors, such as the Oda Corporation, also has wolves on those boards, Wolves that will tear apart anything they see as weak, say an under-performing school. They would liquidate all assets pertaining to said school, right down to the last desk, effectively shutting down everything."

"Is it that bad," Mei asks in a worried tone.

Yuzu shakes her head, "It was, but Neoko turned it around, putting it on the right track again, But they are not quite safe yet."

Yuzu bows her head then looks up ay Mei with grim defiance, "I can't let them take and destroy everything that you, your grandfather, and Neoko worked so hard to accomplish, I can't do that Mei! It's all they got going for them right now."

Yuzu turns again to the window, not looking at Mei, "And if that means I'm sleeping in the guestroom, then that's fine as well."

Mei looks out the window as well, her eyes look back at the stone still figure of Yuzu. She closes her eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Promise me something" Mei finally says.

"What?" asks Yuzu not turning from the window.

"That you take regular breaks every two hours," Mei says as she turns toward Yuzu and takes a step.

"I can do that," Yuzu promises as she turns toward Mei.

"And take the full lunch hour, no working lunches," Mei says as she continues her approach.

"Sure thing, you got it," Yuzu concedes.

"And when you come home you leave work at work, don't bring it home," Mei says as she slowly wraps her arms around Yuzu's neck.

Yuzu wraps her arm around Mei's waist, "You got it."

"It's just I don't want what happened to me happen to you, You know, passing out when I'm stressed," Mei says quietly.

Yuzu kisses Mei's forehead, "I understand Mei, I really do."

"Speaking of which, you may want to tighten your embrace, I got that weird feeling again," whispers Mei.

Yuzu leans back while tightening her hug just as Mei's arms fall to her side and her head rests on Yuzu's shoulder with her eyes closed. Yuzu starts to shuffle her and Mei to a nearby couch.

"It's ok Mei, I got you, I got you, there we go," soothes Yuzu.

Yuzu sets Mei down on the couch as gently as she could. She then sat next to her, stroking Mei's hair away from her face.

"Ok, Mei come back to me," Yuzu urges softly.

Mei slowly opens her eyes and focuses on Yuzu.

"Now that is what I want to see when I open my eyes," Mei says.

"I'm sorry to cause you so much stress, Mei," apologized Yuzu.

"It's ok, really," reassures Mei.

"You need anything? water maybe?" Yuzu inquires.

"Water will be fine."

"Coming right up," Yuzu says as she leaves.

"Knock knock," says Mr. Oda leaning in the doorway, "Safe to enter?"

Mei waves him in. Mr. Oda comes in pushing Neoko in her wheelchair.

"The war is over, a truce has been called, and the accord has been reached," Mei jokes.

"So that means..." starts Neoko.

"Yuzu is going to help you, No Mr. Oda, I expect you to make sure Yuzu goes to all of her breaks and gets any support she needs." dictates Mei.

Mr. Oda nods his compliance.

"Now to you, Neoko, Yuzu is doing this for you and Ian, she expects you to walk again and take control once you have. I don't know what motivation you need but you better find it." Mei commands.

"I_ I will try mother," stammers Neoko, "I am sorry for earlier."

Mei waves off Neoko's response, "Just try your best to walk that's all we ask."

Yuzu shows up with a bottle of water, "What's going on in here?"

"Oh just doing some work negotiations," smiles Mei.


	6. Chapter 6: Help For The Helpful

It is four o'clock in the morning, something has caused Mei to rise out of bed. The twins have been staying with their grandmothers while Neoko visits Ian during the night. Mei quietly exits her bedroom, leaving the sleeping Yuzu behind.

Mei hears clinking sounds from down the hall, down the stairs. Mei feels the wall of the hallway, unable to see well because she left her glasses in the bedroom. She makes it to the top of the stairs. She fumbles to the handrails, finally getting a hold of them. She slowly makes her way down the stairs closer to the sounds.

At the foot of the stairs, Mei makes out the blurry image of light coming from the kitchen. She moves slowly, feeling her way as she does, down the hall to the lighted doorway. She tries to focus her eyes to see inside.

She sees a blonde woman with her back to her, washing dishes.

"Yuzu," Mei thinks.

Mei lets a mischevious smile show a little. She didn't know why Yuzu decided to wash the dishes this early in the morning, but she was going to have a little fun with her. She slowly makes her way to her, being as quiet as possible. With loving arms, she quickly embraces the woman.

"Morning beautiful, how are you this morning?" Mei purred.

"Grandmother Mei?" a surprised Yuzi asks.

Mei's eyes blink, then widen as she quickly realizes it is her granddaughter, Yuzi.

"Oh damn! I'm sorry!" Mei says as she steps away shanking her arms.

Yuzi laughs a little," It's ok, grandmother, no harm was done, although you should have your eyeglasses on, Why don't you sit down and I'll get you some coffee and get your glasses from your room."

The embarrassed Mei sits down while covering her eyes as Yuzi sets down a cup of coffee. Yuzi pats her grandmother on the back as she moves out of the room to retrieve the eyeglasses.

Yuzi reappears a short time later, smiling at her embarrassed grandmother, and hands Mei her glasses. Yuzi then puts two cups of coffee on the table. Yuzi joins her grandmother at the table.

Mei puts on her glasses, blinks a little bit then looks at Yuzu with a small smile. "I am really sorry, Yuzi., It's that you look so much much like your grandmother Yuzu."

"Yeah, even though I don't share her genes, it still is rather an uncanny coincidence," muses Yuzi.

Mei takes a sip from her cup, "Say you have been busy around here, haven't you?"

Yuzi shrugs, "I guess I have been keeping myself busy lately."

Mei looks at Yuzi with a raised eyebrow as she puts down her cup, "Why? Why are you doing so much?"

Yuzi shugs again then gets up and turns toward the sink to continue washing, "I don't know just making sure that everyone gets what they want, I guess."

Mei stands and goes to lean against the kitchen counter with the cup of coffee still in her hand, "What they want?"

"You know, I make sure grandmother Yuzu has lunch ready for the next day. Or that I help MeiMei with her homework, And cleaning around the house so you don't have to, you know just trying to be helpful," explains Yuzi.

"So what about you? What do you want?" inquires Mei.

Yuzi looks at her grandmother Mei, "Me? I don't want anything, I'm just happy to help."

Mei raises her eyebrow as she tilts her head on its side as if she wasn't convinced. Mei places her hand on Yuzi's arm, causing her to stop.

"Yuzi, I've been teaching children of all sizes for a long time, so you don't fool me, What is it that you, you yourself want?" urges Mei.

Yuzi hand grip and ring the washcloth in her hands. Her head bowed so she could avoid eye contact. A single tear could be heard hitting the soapy water.

With quick action, Yuzi throws the rag into the sink and turns to Mei.

"I want my daddy!"

Mei puts down her cup and turns toward Yuzi with her hand on her chest.

"I want him here, watching over me and my sister, I want him here, helping my mother, making her walk!" cries Yuzi.

Mei hurries over to Yuzi and hugs her tightly, "It's ok Yuzi, it really is, just you wait and see, your father will be up and set it all in the right, " reassures Mei.

Mei leads the crying Yuzi to the table and sets her down, still holding her hand.

"Now you listen to me, first get a shower to calm yourself, second take tomorrow off and relax, no work, and third stop doing so much, we are not helpless, got it?" Mei gently but firmly commands.

Yuzi nods slowly, wiping away tears. She rises and goes down the hall.

Another set of footsteps can be heard down the hall. Mei turns to identify the owner of the steps. It was Yuzu.

"What's going on?" she asks.

Mei fills her cup with more coffee, "Nothing, just helping our helper."


	7. Chapter 7: To Forgive Oneself

The hospital room door opens revealing Yuzu, Mei, and the twin granddaughters as they enter. Neoko wheeled around in the wheelchair and smiles, happy to see them. The twin, Yuzi, happily embraces her mother while the other, MeiMei, goes to the corner of the room and leans against the wall, not looking at anybody.

"Have you been going to your physical therapy?" Mei asks her daughter, Neoko.

Neoko's smile fades, " No, not really, I haven't had the motivation to."

Mei looks more sternly at Neoko, "What do you mean no motivation? You need to walk, Neoko."

Neoko looks away from her mother, instead, she looks toward Ian, "It's just I don't see the point if he not there to walk beside me."

"I'm sorry Neoko, but that isn't good enough, You have to try harder." Mei chastises.

"I don't care if it's good enough for you, It's my reason," Neoko snaps.

Mei expression shows a look of shock at Neoko's response. Neoko sighs as she lowers her shoulders.

"Look, mother, I'm sorry I snapped at you, It's just I can't get moving while I'm worried about Ian," Neoko explains.

Mei gets closer to Neoko, "How about we try today hmm? for Ian?"

Neoko looks back at Ian, then back to her mother, "Ok I guess I can give it a try."

Yuzi grabs the handles of Neoko's wheelchair and pushes her out the door. Mei and MeiMei follow. Yuzu takes her spot on a couch and grabs an outdated magazine to read.

In the hallway, MeiMei stops walking, causing Mei to stop as well.

"Grandmother, I'm going for a walk in the park across the street ok?" MeiMei requests.

Mei nods her consent, and as she watches her granddaughter leave, she decides to follow, telling Yuzi to go ahead with Neoko.

Mei follows her granddaughter across the street and into the park. She loses sight of her for a moment, only to find her sitting on a park bench near a pond. Mei decides to go up to MeiMei and settle a situation.

"Grandmother, why are you here instead of being with mother?" inquires MeiMei.

"Because you need my help more than your mother," answers Mei.

"Oh, I really don't need anything really," counters MeiMei.

"Really?" Mei asks as she sits on the bench beside her granddaughter, "Because you sure do look like you need it."

"What do you mean?" Asks MeiMei.

"The sullen silence, not having anything to do with anybody, keeping to yourself, and the losing-your-best-friend look to start with," Mei explains.

MeiMei keeps her eyes on the pond, not wanting to look at her grandmother. She knew if she did she wouldn't be able to keep what made feel guilt from her.

"Well, are you going to tell me or am I going to have to dunk you into the pond?" Mei sarcastically asks.

MeiMeu sits silently, not wanting to say anything. Mei looks at her granddaughter gaze with a tilted look. Mei leans closer to MeiMei.

"Is it because you told your father you hated him?" Mei guesses.

MeiMei quickly looks at her grandmother, then lowers her gaze.

"It is isn't it?" Mei correctly guesses.

MeiMei quietly nods, "It was the last thing I said to him before ... before the accident."

Mei leans over and puts her arm around MeiMei's shoulders, "Now you know that your father knows that you don't really hate him, don't you?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want my last words to be that I hate him." laments MeiMei.

"Then here is what you should do, " Mei instructs, "You go right now and apologize to him and tell him you want him to come back."

"Even as he is?" questions MeiMei.

"Yes, even as he is, especially as he is now, so go, right now," commands Mei.

MeiMei jumps up from the bench, gives thanks to her grandmother, and runs towards the hospital.

Yuzu sees MeiMei in the hallway as she passes by her. Yuzu turns around to face MeiMei as she stops to talk to her.

"Excuse me, grandmother, I have to do something for father. I will talk to you later," MeiMei hurriedly says as she moves down the hallway.

MeiMei enters the room where Ian lies in his hospital bed. She quietly walks to the side of the bed, putting her hands on the rail near his hand.

"I don't know you can hear me, father, but I have something I have to say," MeiMei sighs, "We need you, I need you to watch over me and Yuzi, Mother needs you, she is so lost without you, The grandmothers need you so they can get back to whatever they do, I don't really know what they do, But I do know this, I'm sorry for what I said and I'm sorry..." MeiMei tears up some, causing a drop to fall onto Ian's hand, " ...sorry for what I said and that we want you to come back to us."

MeiMei steps away and leaves the room slowly closing the door.

Yuzu finally enters the room again and resumes her reading.

Yuzu is so interested in the magazine that she doesn't see the tear-stained hand begin to move slightly.


	8. Chapter 8: Long Forgotten Romance

Yuzu sits at a couch at the foot of the bed where the comatose Ian lays with a tube in his mouth. She looks up from her magazine she was reading, gets up and goes to his bedside, and brushes some of his hair away from his face.

"You look so much like your father," Yuzu says as she straightens up and quietly sits down on the couch.

Yuzu turns the page to an advertisement for a dark color drink that is common to Ireland. Yuzu sighs a little and looks out of the nearby window seeing the white clouds in the sky. She then rests her head on her hand and closes her eyes, and begins to dream of a long forgotten time of her life.

"Cheers for Yuzu!" came a call.

Yuzu sat in a busy pub with a small group of people. They were celebrating a successful deal with a Japanese company, the Oda Corporation, making the Japanese market available to their clothing line.

Yuzu waved off the compliment, "Please I didn't do anything special."

"Are you serious!? If it wasn't for you and your native language, this deal could have collapsed," complimented a coworker.

Yuzu blushed a little, although she worked hard to help the fledgling company to get it off the ground, she didn't feel that she did anything special. She quietly got up from the table and excused herself to the ladies room.

On the way back the pub seemed more packed full of patrons than before she left. People began to murmur, then talk to a dull roar.

Requests for a raven-haired singer came over the air," Merideth! where is Merideth?"

Soon the afore-mentioned Merideth appeared from among the crowd with hands raised.

"Yes, yes I will sing, but only if Mr. Robert McGregor joins me with his pipes!" she implored.

The crowded pub cheered the musician and exhorted him to play. Robert raised his hand and agreed to play, much to the delight of the crowded pub.

The pub quieted down as Robert took his seat next to the standing singer. Merideth took a deep breath and began to sing a slow tempo song.

Yuzu never heard such a song. It told of a tale of a long lost love that was across the vast sea. Yuzu moved silently to the front of the crowd, listening intently to the song. Her memory took her back, back to Japan, back to Mei. Silent tears bore witness to how the memory affected her.

Then Yuzu made eye contact with the musician, Robert, as he played, caused him to smile at her. Yuzu looked away sheepishly and tried to disappear in the crowd.

Later on, Yuzu went to the bar to get another round of drinks for her co-workers, but before she put the money on the counter, another hand pays for the drinks, all of them.

"That on me bartender," said Robert.

"Oh, I can't possibly accept such a great gesture," Yuzu stammered.

"I insist," counters Robert.

"What do you want in return?" a wary Yuzu asked.

"Just your name for a start," replied Robert.

"That's all?"

"That's all, well, maybe a drink later if you want as well."

"Yuzu."

Robert smiled one of those crooked rugged smiles, "Your hair is the same as my son, Ian."

"Oh, how old is he?" asked Yuzu.

"Almost ten, he stays with some good friends of mine while I do these gigs from time to time," Robert took a quick look at his watch the back at the stage, "Which reminds me, I better get back, can I see you after the show?"

Yuzu sucked in her bottom lip while smiling, "Sure ok, Oh I better get this round to my table, I will see you then."

Later on after the show, Robert walked Yuzu to her apartment which was a few blocks away. They talked about past experiences and past loves.

".. So yeah she just up and left me and my boy." finished Robert.

"Oh, how horrible," remarked Yuzu.

"And what about you? whats your tragic love story?" asked Robert.

"Me? oh, I don't have one really," concealed Yuzu.

"Really? Those tears from earlier say there is." Robert counters.

"Oh, you saw that huh?" stammered Yuzu.

"Well, fess up, who was he?" Robert inquired lightheartedly.

"Her, Her name is Mei," Yuzu corrects, "If that is going to be a problem then we can-"

"No problem at all, just curious that is all," Robert interjects, "Were you two a really close couple?"

"You can say that we were, We were married," confessed Yuzu.

"What happened? If I'm not being too personal," Asked Robert.

"Well, ... Life I guess, Without giving too much away, small arguments, followed by a really big one about our future, then boom! Here I am in Ireland." summarized Yuzu.

The couple finally arrives at Yuzu's apartment. Yuzu faces Robert as they stand at the door.

"Well, this is it... goodnight," said Yuzu.

Robert nodded with a smile, turns to leave, but suddenly removed his hat and kissed Yuzu on the cheek.

Blushing, Yuzu stammered, "How did you know I wasn't going to resist?"

"If you had I would have immediately stopped, but since you didn't, I guess I was lucky in that way," he says as he turns down the sidewalk.

"Miss Aihara..."

"Miss Aihara wake up, please!"

Yuzu eyes open to a room full of nurses. They just removed the tube from a moving, protesting, and very awake Ian.

"Get off of me you daft nurses!" Ian protests, confusing the nurses since they spoke Japanese, and Ian was speaking English.

Yuzu hurried to Ian, telling the nurses he was alright and calming down her stepson at the same time.

"Ma what's going on? Where am I?" asks Ian.

"Ian calm yourself down, you were in an accident, and you were in a coma for some time. Neoko's back was hurt some but she didn't want to do the therapy without you. I came out of retirement to run the school in her place until she can return and-" Yuzu continues her lengthy tale.

Ian puts his hand up to calm his stepmother, "Okay now you calm down, tell me about Neoko again."


	9. Chapter 9: Motivation

"Come on Neoko, Try again." urges Mei.

Neoko struggles to take a step as she holds the two handrails that run the length of a walkway. She grits her teeth and tightly closes her eyes and begins to visibly shake.

"I... I can't," Neoko says as she slowly lowers herself onto a waiting wheelchair, "I just can't"

Mei crosses her arms as she slowly walks to Neoko, "Can't? or won't?" berates Mei.

Neoko looks up at her mother with a stinging look, "Why don't you go and leave me alone, mother?" She then turns her chair away from her mother.

"Neoko, listen, I just-" Mei starts.

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!" yells Neoko.

Mei stands still, shocked by Neoko outburst. Her expression soon changes to anger as she begins to storm out of the exercise room.

"You want to be alone, then fine, be alone," Mei coldly says.

"Mother wait I'm sorry-"

The door slams shut behind Mei as she leaves. Neoko is now the one who is shocked. She looks out to the windows and begins to cry.

Mei angrily paces the hallway, trying to calm herself down before she has a fainting spell. Yuzu runs happily from down the hall. Yuzu notices Mei mood, causing her to slow and erasing her happy mood as she approaches Mei.

"Mei, what is wrong?" Yuzu asks.

Mei gestures toward the room where Neoko is occupying, "Neoko! It's like she has no motivation Like she has given up."

Yuzu thinks for a moment, then her eyes light up, " Mei, I have an idea."

Sometime later Yuzu and Mei wheel a blindfolded Neoko back to the handrails.

"How is this supposed to help me walk?" asks a bewildered Neoko.

Mei looks questionably at Yuzu.

"Well, you know how you don't look at your feet when you walk? Well, the same principle applies here," Yuzu attempts to explain.

"That doesn't sound right, but if you say so," shrugs Neoko, "Don't think it's going to work anyway."

"Now that doesn't sound like the woman I married."

Neoko's head jerks a little, then her hands begin to shake a little, then she begins to shake her hands more rapidly. A tear begins to show from underneath the blindfold.

"Get this blindfold off of me...NOW!"

Neoko shakes her head and removes the blindfold herself, focusing her eyes she sees Ian in between the handrails leaning on one of them and supported by a physical therapist. Neoko's eyes tear up as she reaches for him, but he is just out of reach.

"Ian.." Neoko whimpers as she grabs ahold of the handrails.

"Come on Neoko, you can do it," urges Ian.

Neoko takes an unsteady step toward Ian. Ian takes a slow step back, urging Neoko as he does. This continues until they are about halfway across the rails.

Neoko begins to feel weaker, she begins to sink to the floor as a therapist goes to her, but Ian waves him off. Ian leans toward Neoko.

"Daughter of Aihara, your daughters need you, rise and walk!" Ian urges.

Neoko snaps a look up at Ian and begins to move again, more slowly than before.

"Daughter of Aihara, your mothers need you, arise and walk!" Ian urges again.

Neoko moves slowly toward the retreating Ian until he steps away from the end of the rails with Neoko at the end.

"Neoko, I need you, now walk!" urges Ian.

Neoko hesitates, then a look of determination comes to her face as she launches herself at Ian. Ian catches her and, with the help of therapists, land into a waiting wheelchair.

"Can you wheel us to the windows for a minute, I haven't seen my wife for a while," request Ian.

The therapist push Ian and Neoko up to a window. Ian cradles Neoko in his lap as the filtered sunlight bathed upon them with a soft light.

"Ian, I'm sorry," Neoko says after some time has passed.

"Sorry? For what love?" inquires Ian.

"For the argument, the argument that led you to be distracted and miss seeing that truck drifting to our lane, and the accident that caused me to lose..." Neoko falters on finishing the sentence.

"We lost the baby?" Ian guesses.

Neoko didn't speak, she just nods and buries her face into Ian's shoulder. Ian responds by tightening his embrace, comforting Neoko.

"It will be alright love, I promise," Ian reassures Neoko as they look out of the window.

Mei, watching from a distance, begins to go to the pair but was stopped by Yuzu.

"Come on Mei, let's give them some time alone, besides let's go get the twins out of school, I'm sure they will want to see their father," Yuzu says.

"Out of school? But-" Mei begins to protest.

Yuzu kisses Mei to silence her, "We are breaking the rules today Mei."

Yuzu, giggling, pulls Mei down the hall.

**THE END**

**Thank you so much for reading!**


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